Last season, Zach LaVine tore his ACL. The Bulls knew that when they acquired him from the Minnesota Timberwolves as part of a package for Jimmy Butler. On Wednesday, LaVine said that he was ahead of schedule and that he would be ready for training camp. According to Zach Harper of FanRag Sports, that may not be the case:
LaVine said at Wednesday’s ESPYS that he plans to be ready for training camp after tearing his ACL in early February, but December projects to be the more likely earliest return. The Bulls probably won’t get to see him on the court in meaningful minutes prior to the rookie extension deadline. That means they can either blindly offer a contract extension in the $100 million range over the next four years or hope restricted free agency treats them well. Either way, the Bulls aren’t expected to let LaVine out of their grasp. Sources familiar with the situation believe the Bulls will likely hold LaVine out closer to the All-Star break.
With any luck, LaVine’s return will be a smooth one. The Bulls, after all, have already dealt with one athleticism-reliant star’s career being marred with knee injuries.
